Minister McEntee meets with European Commission Executive Vice-President Séjourné

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, welcomed European Commission Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, Stéphane Séjourné, to Dublin today. Their meeting comes in advance of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, which begins on 1 July.

During their meeting, Minister McEntee and EVP Séjourné both expressed their strong support for the EU’s focus on competitiveness and the new ‘One Europe, One Market Roadmap’. The roadmap identifies concrete measures boost European competitiveness and enhance Europe’s potential for prosperity by tackling key obstacles to growth.

Discussions centred around Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency, including how Ireland and the European Commission can work closely together to support the European economy and conclude the Roadmap proposals due for agreement during the Irish EU Presidency.

Speaking after the meeting, Minister McEntee said: “Competitiveness is at the very core of our priorities for Ireland’s EU Presidency, and I was glad to have the opportunity to discuss how we can deliver on this agenda with Executive Vice-President Séjourné.

“We discussed the key issues of concern for our competitiveness across Europe; particularly energy costs, infrastructure and supporting innovative firms to scale up. These are shared challenges for people and businesses across Europe, and we are determined to make progress on tackling them in the months ahead.”

In view of Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July, Minister McEntee and EVP Séjourné also discussed Ireland’s presidency planning and other key on priorities across the EU agenda, including simplification and the European Competitiveness Fund.

ENDS

Press Office

26 May 2026